Tag: gunsmithing

We traveled to Austria to see how Ritter & Stark is making some of the most advanced factory rifles on the market, but to totally understand the thought process behind what they do we were invited to tour EPT Precision Technologies. I have been told that EPT has been in the gun making game for [Read More…]

God bless competent gunsmiths. Not only do they have to deal with a broad spectrum of weapons in for upgrade and repair, but a wide range of owners as well. Today, on the back end of the curve, we have a negligent KRISS Vector owner who has not once, but twice, [Read More…]

If one goes according to legend, the AK-47 would never need fixing. By reputation, the weapon functions under the whole gamut of most unpleasant conditions. Various weapons have been pulled out of mud after decades of submersion to fire again. If that’s the case, [Read More…]

Here is a classic traditional style break barrel 12 gauge shotgun built entirely from scratch using scrap steel plate and tubing which can be found at any decent hardware store. Using the the drawings here as a basis, the builder managed to produce something which [Read More…]

Here are pictures of a preliminary setup for creating rifling grooves in a piece of steel tubing by using a 3D printed spiral insert, lots of salt water and a battery charger. Electrochemical Machining is a process whereby metal is removed by passing an electrical [Read More…]

Much todo is made of the “quality” of staking jobs on the AR-15. Why this is so is absolutely beyond my comprehension… (other than shooter being particularly picky about aesthetics of their rifle). Don’t get me wrong, I completely support the [Read More…]

While I will contend that one never needs to dimple for a gas block, I will respect those who choose to do so. I believe in freedom and if you want an unneeded, unnecessary step added to the construction of your boomstick, who am I to judge? For those looking to dimple [Read More…]

German gunsmith Herbert Werle – creator of the famous “AK-47” Luger and the .45 ACP Luger Carbine – has created another strange hybrid firearm: A 7.62x25mm Tokarev M1 Carbine. Two videos of Werle testing the rifle are embedded below: In the description of his [Read More…]

I’ve always been an extremely big fan of any AR15 extended right side bolt release, whether it was Magpuls BAD lever, or Knight’s Armament’s integrated design. The sheer simplicity and difference in operation these devices make can cut down reloading [Read More…]

I’ve got a build that’s been percolating through my brain housing group for the last year. I’m not all about the whole “retro” scene but some of the old guns truly had the right idea. With the veritable plethora of tactical accessories on [Read More…]

Screws and firearms tend to not work well together. The constant vibrations in a EDC firearm and recoil are likely to cause threads to back-out, breaking the bond between the two mated objects. In the case of a trigger (like Lone Wolf’s UAT), having that screw [Read More…]

The right tool for the right job is how I was taught. Not that I’ve always followed that rule to the letter. But as I’ve matured as a shooter, I’ve come to appreciate quality tools as much as I do quality firearms. Here are 12 tool suggestions for your [Read More…]

Expanding from the gunsmithing videos that make gunsmithing look easy, Larry Potterfield is back as the star in his own company’s interview. The topic is the “Nearly Perfect” Safari Rifle and Larry goes into detail on the selection and smithing of his [Read More…]

Iraqveteran8888 put up a video of Ryan threading a Mosin Nagant barrel using a power drill and a special bit that is cutting the shoulder. The bit has a pilot guide rod that helps keep the bit centered on the barrel. After cutting the shoulder Ryan can thread the barrel [Read More…]

It’s a class like this that gives one true appreciation for the craftsmanship of Nighthawk, Wilson Combat, and the other high-end 1911 manufacturers. I was naive to thinking that working for a firearms company, which we produce thousands of products each month on [Read More…]

Hognose, blogging at his home WeaponsMan.com, has touched on a very worthwhile subject in one of his latest posts: How to deal with gunsmiths (if you’re a customer) and customers (if you’re a gunsmith). He springboards off a tale originally posted on Reddit [Read More…]

Check out this Picatinny vice block from KE Arms. It allows you to lock your ARs upper receiver in a vice via the Picatinny rail and is pretty handy when trying to align your rail and upper during installs. I swap rails on my ARs all the time and it can be a pain for [Read More…]

Larry Potterfield and his gang at Midway just get to have all the fun. In this video, he showcases how to jewel a bolt for a bolt-action (or really anything) rifle. While the video showcases everything in super-speed and does not showcase the sweat and time, it has a [Read More…]

Okay, I admit it, I have become addicted to MidwayUSA’s gunsmithing videos and just had to share another one (for now, more to come later). In this one, Midway USA’s own Larry Potterfield breaks down drilling and re-lining a .22LR barrel using a custom [Read More…]

When I saw Dave Mason Precision Reamers on my list of vendors to visit, I was like “Wha?!?”. Not being a gunsmith, I wasn’t really sure how to approach them. I’ve got some basic tools to do maintenance on my firearms, but no real experience at [Read More…]

I first ran across Real Avid and the AR-15 Tool at NRA 2014. They were nestled somewhere between Kimber and Del-Ton in an otherwise nondescript booth. I don’t even remember them having a banner. But, their multi-tools were on display and I was drawn to it like [Read More…]

Pachmayr expanded the company’s offerings for gunsmiths this year with the addition of two ring and base screw kits and an adhesive kit. The ring and base screw kits come with a multitude of different sized screws, a thread size gauge and a jig to help shorten a [Read More…]

It seems that no matter what you do, someone is always complaining about looks like there is a mandatory art appreciation class given to all mall ninjas to get their CCW sash. I ask Fred, “is there any way to please all the ladies?” Fred hangs outside of [Read More…]

Where I come from, people joke about watering flowerbeds with motor oil. Especially those parts where they’ve buried a machine gun. There are many semi rifles that people build from 80% kits and parts: AKs, CETMEs, Uzis and the “other one”. Not much [Read More…]

TFB reader Chris as unhappy with the mil-spec wire stock his Tantal rifle was supplied with so he modded it up bending the stock down and adding a cheek weld. Quite a nifty mod if you ask me! Chris wrote on the TFB Facebook page … The original Tantal stock has [Read More…]

Tapco is now making magazine blocks for the AK, AR and SKS platforms. The magazine blocks allow a gun owner to work on their rifle, using the block, instead of the rifle, to interface with the vice. The helps prevent unwanted damage. The blocks are made of polymer [Read More…]

“I bought a pump shotgun because they never jam.” This proud statement is a staple of gun store conversation. Normally it comes either just before or just after the “you can’t miss” and “sound of the pump scares ’em off” [Read More…]

If you’re lucky the barrel will drop right in. Most will find that some fitting will be needed at the rear of the barrel hood. Ideally what you want is a barrel that locks up solidly with the barrel bushing, barrel lugs into the slide recesses and finally the barrel [Read More…]

For those not familiar with the 38 Super it’s an older law enforcement round widely in use during the 1930’s since it would penetrate the crude body armor of the time. The 1911 in 45 acp was also widely used but took a backseat to the 38 Super once the gangsters [Read More…]

I am often asked by readers how they can become gunsmiths, but, never having gone down that path, I am as clueless as they are. My friend Albert Rasch has published an interview with Jeremy Chan, a gunsmithing student at the Trinidad State Junior College Gunsmithing [Read More…]